Ita's grip on the little man

Hornsby and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry will host the Australia Post Small Business Awards Cocktail Party Launch with former publisher of the Australian Women's Weekly, Ita Buttrose.

Buttrose is an advisor to the corporate sector and one of the leading motivational speakers in Australia. She is Managing Director of her own marketing and specialist publishing company and says any business, no matter how small, needs good marketing.

"Small businesses are the backbone of our Australian economy. The economy wouldn't be as good as it is without small business. Most great new ideas come from small businesses and big companies also recognise this and invest in them.

"At 'Cocktails with Ita' I am going to speak about both the positives and negatives of owning and running your own small business. I am there to encourage small business owners to take the first step and fill out the entry form to enter the Small Business Awards," says Buttrose.

Between 1994 to 2004 statistics show there has been a 75 per cent increase or 360,000 new small businesses. The number of women who start small businesses has also increased by 30 to 40 per cent.

"I think the increase in women starting their own small businesses is due to the housewives who want to put their skills to use with the convenience of working from home and having flexible hours and enough time for the family," says Buttrose.

Buttrose says young men and women are very entrepreneurial in Australia these days because they know that big companies cannot provide the job security that their own business can. Business failures are also a possibility and she says it is necessary to be well equipped and know the risks.

"When a business venture fails no one is going to come and say 'there there'. You have to pick yourself up and start again. There will always be loss, but there is also a lot to gain through small businesses.

"I think our government is very supportive of small businesses and I am excited about their future in Australia," says Buttrose.

The Australia Post Small Business Awards Cocktail Party Launch is open to members of Hornsby Chamber of Commerce and all Hornsby Shire business owners and managers and will be held at Asquith Leagues Club on July 27.